Many types of engines having rotating shafts are known. Historically, the control of the engines, their power output and their energy consumption have been given great attention.
One of the most important aspects of an engine is providing the correct size engine for the desired use of the engine. Historically, engines have been overdesigned so that they may provide reserve power, which is used, if at all, only during a small percentage of engine operation. The engines, and particularly engines for automobiles, are designed to produce upwards far above their normal usage requirements. The overdesign of engines encourages the driving of automobiles in wasteful and dangerous manners. Overdesigned engines operating in normal power output ranges are inefficient.
A need exists to provide a system for converting engines to maximum efficiency for reducing fuel consumption.
Before preparing an application, the applicant caused a search to be made in the U.S. Patent Office.
The search covered U.S. patents in class 123, subclasses 198, Dig. 7, Dig. 10, and in class 74, subclass 603.
Examples of the most pertinent patents are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 934,675; 1,802,902; 2,218,332; 3,556,063; 842,392; 869,021; 1,201,055; 2,166,968; 2,186,043; 2,250,814; 2,948,274; 3,561,416; 1,350,269 and 491,487.
U.S. Pat. No. 934,675 describes an engine block design adapted to be used with one, two, or three pistons depending on the operating requirements for the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,416 shows engine block configurations which can be formed from a combination of 1, 2, or 4 cylinders and pistons.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,250,814 discloses modifications to a V-8 engine whereby 4 cylinders of the engine may be selectively taken out of service. Fuel flow to the unused cylinders is interrupted. Both intake and exhaust valves of the unused cylinders remain closed during operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,186,043 describes modifications to multi-cylinder internal combustion engines so that several cylinders can be operated in four-cycle mode, or alternately and the remaining cylinders can be operated in a two-cycle mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,350,269 is an example of detachable crank shaft counterbalances found in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 491,487 discloses an adjustable weight crank shaft counterbalance.
The current energy crisis poses a number of challenges to the American public. Currently there is a mad scramble to "economy" cars of both domestic and foreign manufacture. Typically, these "economy" cars utilize small 4 cylinder engines and fuel consumption varies in the range of 18 to 35 MPG.
The market has dropped for the typical gas consuming large cars with 8 cylinder, 8-12 MPG, V-8 engines. Fewer people want them, but a lot of them are around, overall, up to 50 million, with half that many, 25 million, 3 years old or less.
We obviously cannot scrap these cars -- so what can be done? A problem remains of what to do with the existing 8 cylinder automobiles.